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From Reader to Writer: The Driving Metaphor

I do believe I have mentioned that I love reading “How To” books on writing. I have three shelves full of books with authors ranging from Chris Vogler and James Scott Bell, to Donald Maass and Robert J. Ray. But, in all of these wonderful works, I have yet to come across a discussion about the process we all undergo, the transition from being avid readers to burgeoning writers.

Now, I must tell you, I went from reading to dissecting and discussing stories in school, and fell in love with the works of Joseph Campbell and the whole process of comparative literature. How I frolicked when it came to the close reading classic books, how I got so caught up in analyzing and dissecting the characters to understand their emotions and how their stories evolved.

So when it came time for me to begin writing fiction, I would never even think of “pantsing” just sitting down and writing what came to me, I would always have to arm myself with charts and diagrams, plot points and progressions before I felt comfortable creating my stories. That’s me in a nutshell: I could never just do anything, I would always have to think it out first (Drives my mom crazy as she is a classic “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of woman). To be honest, I am a control freak and all of this planning is done because I am so scared to death of falling flat on my ass and screwing up. It’s taken me years to realize that is our screw-ups that make us stronger.

Thus, I’ve had to think about this whole process of what on earth possessed me to think I could write fiction. It stems from a love of reading, a love of getting lost in a good book, a desire to park my own crappy life at the door and experience the wonders of a good story well told. I know what happened for me, I read a lousy detective story and said, “Hey, if this junk got published, I know I could do this better.”

And so the journey begins. I set out to write fiction and found myself in the driver’s seat of my new work. Learning to write is a lot like learning to drive. There’s an engine in there somewhere, you’re initial spark that fires it, but then there are all these pedals and knobs like plot, character, point of view. You got this car started, but it isn’t really going anywhere.

Okay, tell me again, gear in clutch out? What?

So, you read some writing books and find out you need plot points, an inciting incident, you need the Hero’s Journey, you need structure. You go back to the book and you realize you had hints of all of this, and your so excited because now your engine is revving and the car is moving, you have a road map to follow, oh boy, now you are going somewhere!

But then you look around and you realize, “oh what kind of car am I driving anyway?” and discover there are lots of models to choose from, and here’s where you think about your genre. Are you writing a nice cozy mystery? Then your car could be fitted out like a classic Rolls Royce, with real leather and fine wood finishes. Or, are you writing a Thriller, your car becomes a Ferrari Testarrosa that speeds you down the road, the wind in your hair the story zooming along. Ah, you say to yourself, now we are getting somewhere.

Okay, I've crossed the threshold into act two...NOW WHAT?

Now, you’ve picked out your model, you’ve filled the tank with gas, the mirrors are clean, the spark plugs are firing. But wait a minute. What’s that? Before you even get in the car, you look in the backseat and lo and behold. There’s someone there. Who is it? It’s your reader.

Ah, the circle of life is complete. It’s fine and good to have a road map, to have a set of plot points for you to follow. But does your reader care about that? No, they are looking forward to being taken on a journey and that is your job. Not to just make a set of plot twits and turns, but to create an emotional journey for your READER. You are now a chauffer, you are the taxi driver, you have precious cargo, your job is to think about the experience you are creating for the reader. Then it becomes more like,” oh, we’re just about to reach plot point one, where are we going to go next, I think I’ll turn down this lane, what will we encounter here?

You want to gain your reader’s trust, they want to know that you know what you are doing so they can just relax and enjoy the ride. If you do it right, they could care less about looking at the road signs, they are lost in the literary landscape of your invention. They are falling in love with your characters and feeling all the emotions you are putting them through. They are on the battlefield as you march out your troops; they are smelling the gunpowder and ducking when they hear the whistle of the bomb launched over their heads. Or they are right there in the room, bearing witness as two wonderful people come together for that first momentous kiss.

I mean isn’t that what you signed up for? To have a front row seat when your characters first show up in your consciousness? When you get to figure out “oh, that’s why they had to kill him.” As writers we are the lucky ducks who get first glance, the first taste of the unfolding drama. And that drama becomes so much more vital; when we realize that it is not just for us that we do this. We do this in service to our readers; we enter into a sacred bond, just as all the writers who came before you did with you.

Come on baby, let's ride!

That’s how we write it forward, that’s how we pay homage to our literary heroes, how we thank them for the service they rendered for us, we render it on for our own readers. So, there’s nothing else left to say, but “ladies and gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES!”

Now here are some posts from some fellow travelers, amazing writers who look at the process from very different points of view. First off, the delicious Gene Lempp, our archeology expert, who tells us more about the Zoo Arcane.

Karen McFarland offers an amazing message of what we can learn when we are stuck in the mud.

The inimitable Kristen Lamb talks about what it takes to be a writer in the digital age.

Here’s one strictly out of left field, August McLaughlin, embracing the cycle of creativity.

Jenny Hensen’s great article on using the 12 steps of Intimacy to add conflict to your work.

Thank you all for stopping by, I love hearing from you. When did you make the move from reader to writer? What do you remember most about the transition? Does my driving metaphor take you places? (sorry, couldn’t help that last one.)

Glad you enjoyed it Patricia, the more I look at it, the whole outlining thing seems to work best for plot driven fiction: thrillers, mysteries. But for a character driven story, you have to let the character do the driving and that just takes a lot of butt glue, time in the chair writing. Some of us like the confines of a plot driven story because we know where we’re going… sort of. cheers.

Awesome post, Rachel! Having just finished Vogler’s book I’m right with you on the power of the Hero’s Journey – but without a doubt it is a journey shared by all – both writer and reader. That symbiosis is what truly gives it life, just as gas fuels the taxi that we are driving the reader around in.

I’m a plantser, by the way, I tend to discover story through free writing first (often following a research lead into the Hero’s Journey road), then plot, then free write scenes off of the plot, and so on. We all have a unique way of doing things – which is the one absolute lesson I’ve gained from reading far far too many craft books. But it all comes back to the Hero’s Journey and we are all on that path whether we want to admit it or not.

Hi Gene, I just adore Chris Vogler, I had the chance to hang out with him at Story Masters last year and he is just so sincere and genuine. I’ve been reading his other book, “Memo from the Story Dept.” in that he discusses the work of Vladimir Propp, who did an exhaustive look at Russian fairy tales. He came up with a list of devices used in making fairy tales, really, really interesting. I think it would be right up your alley. Thanks for stopping by. 😉

I hate reading craft books, esp now that I have published one- I just dissect what I have already written and get down on myself, it takes a while for the new info to be absorbed by my brain and ego and use it- so while I know it’s important I have to psych myself up to read craft books.
I love the car metaphor.

Hi, Rachel! Thanks for mentioning my blog. I was a natural-born short-story pantser until I got tired of failing-failing-failing with my longer work. If I wanted to write novels, I had to learn to plot in advance! Whether or not I’ve learned it by now remains to be seen. 🙂

Ooh, I love driving metaphors. And any metaphors related to writing. 🙂 Great post, Rachel. Thanks for the mention!

I realized I wanted to pursue a writing career after writing a short screen play. I was an actress then and wrote the script because there was a particular character I wanted to portray. The film got picked up by a production company, yet rather than dance around with glee, I was heartbroken. I wanted to keep writing, not act in it. The transition into writing, merge I should say ;), turned out to be 1000% worth it.

Love the driving metaphor. Although I wondered, what if I’m driving a two-seater? Guess the reader get to ride shotgun! 🙂 I’m like you, absolutely must have the route planned beforehand! That doesn’t mean we can’t take a lovely detour, or even change route later on. But I’d never get anywhere without it.

Karen, aw shucky darns, you always say the nicest things. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for the great big hug. I’ve been having the idea in the back of my head that one day I may have to teach all these great techniques that I have learned. I do believe this metaphor is a pretty good summation of the first steps in the process. As you know, there are so many other things to learn about writing, but figuring out the big goal is a good first step.

I gotta say, in all the craft books I’ve been reading lately not one made an analogy quite like this. I love it, I have a nice picture in my head of me in the driver’s seat and someone coming along for the ride. Thanks! 😀

Melinda, I have never heard anyone really address the subject either, that’s why I figured someone had to do it. Right now I have the gear in first and I’m letting out the clutch, looking forward to where my characters take me today. Thanks for stopping by.

Love the metaphor 🙂 I think part of why I love writing is the same reason I prefer to be the driver rather than a passenger–I’m in control. Reading someone else’s book, you can never guarantee it’ll end in the way you want it to. With your own…satisfaction guaranteed each time 🙂

Love it. I’m reading Vogler’s Writer’s Journey right now. 😉 I’ve recently finished Snyder’s Save the Cat the Cat Strikes Back. Really (really!) loved both of them. Got the synapses firing all over the place. So you can see that I adore writing craft books, online classes and workshops and anything that puts more tools in my toolbox. I’m not a very good plotter which is why I think I keep trying and blending different methods to find what will eventually work the best for me.

Funny aside, I just signed up for a 2-day intensive plotting weekend for next month. Can’t Wait! I’m determined to take my readers on a fantastic ride as soon I figure out how to program my nav-system. *wink*

Ginger, I went whole hog and bought the “Save the Cat!” Software program and I just love it. Whenever I’m stuck, for me that’s having about 10 options of where to go next — I pull up the Save the Cat! index cards and figure out which is the best way to go in terms of hitting all the high points. I love the process. Have a great time in your class.

Wonderful post!!! I think I share very much in your experience since I want to learn and know everything about writing, before I sit down to write. LOL Sometimes though it hampers me getting creative so I am looking forward to shutting off the analytical side of the brain and just letting for a bit.
LOVE the car analogy!!
Happy weekend!!!

Books and my experiences for the last 30 some odd years is what compelled me to start writing on a consistent basis and claim it as my title. Writer! Woo Hoo! Love Joseph Campbell. One of his videos rocked my world! Not to mention his books.

Thank you for the beautiful post 🙂 So well written and love the analogy of the car.

The New Social Alchemy

Social Alchemy: is my version of the digital salon. Where interesting ideas are bandied about, where opinions are appreciated. Where all that makes life interesting: art, creativity, writing, love, and compassion are explored in many facets. And it's also a place to come and relax. When you want to turn off the digital noise, kick back, relax, and just be yourself. Thank you so much for visiting.